Williow Brook Primary Achieves Centre of Excellence

Willow Brook Primary School Academy has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status.

Pupils Were Enthusiastic About Their School

“I love my school.  We don’t judge people at this school, we are all treated the same.”  This comment was made by one of the Year Six pupil ambassadors as the keyway to describe his school of which he is very proud.  This outstanding school, situated in the East of London, forms part of the Griffin Schools Trust where 51% of pupils speak English as an Additional Language (EAL), with over 23 different languages spoken amongst the pupils and staff.  The school is rightly proud of all the learning opportunities that are on offer to the pupils, and these are publicised to parents and friends of the school through various channels e.g., the school website, Instagram and Twitter.  Communication between the school and parents is excellent.

Pupils were enthusiastic about their school.  They spoke about being respectful to each other and how they make sure that everyone is playing together at playtime with no one being excluded.   A nurturing, warm style of interaction between pupils and teachers was evident throughout the day which pupils responded to very positively. 

Three Key Pillars

The school describes its curriculum offer under three key pillars: Proud Traditions, Wide Horizons and High Achievement.  

The pillars give a framework for learning which involves independence of thought and learning, the fact all extra-curricular activities are offered free of charge and also the view that high achievement is more than just the core subjects: all pupils will have their musical, sporting and creative achievements accredited.  The three pillars are completely inclusive for all learners, whatever their starting points. 

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) has a very visible presence in the school.  One member of staff said she noticed that a nursery class, new to the school, all knew the Headteacher by name and were all very confident about approaching her. 

On first entering the school, it is apparent that the front office staff are very welcoming to all pupils, their families and visitors.  An external professional mentioned that they seem to know all the families by name. 

Culture of the School

The culture of the school is that of being very supportive, open to hearing different opinions and mindful of staff workloads.  There is a culture where staff can say they are overwhelmed and SLT will offer additional support.  The staff are very supportive of each other.  The Trust’s vision of all schools being a place of hospitality is reflected in the free refreshments, including breakfast that the school gives to all staff, as well as a welcoming staffroom and a separate Planning Preparation and Assessment (PPA) room also equipped with refreshments.  All trainee teachers from the previous year have chosen to become Early Career Teachers (ECTs) at the school which is testament to this supportive culture. 

Visiting external professionals were unanimous in their praise of the school’s inclusive attitude to visitors to the school, ‘Why can’t all schools be like this?‘ 

The school counsellor describes the children relating to each other very well and sees them mirroring the positive behaviour that they see modelled by all staff.   Children enjoy going to their counselling sessions and they relax in the calming, counselling space.

External professionals mentioned how the office staff are very welcoming and accommodating.  The Speech and Language Therapist said she has access to all staff communication and she is provided with a regular room to hold her therapy sessions and parent meetings.  The school even organise refreshments for the parents so that she can concentrate on her main focus which is improving outcomes for the children.  

Parents Rate the School Very Highly

Parents rate the school very highly.  They are appreciative of their children’s teachers and additional support.  They say that communication is good, and the senior team are open to suggestions or advice about how to work with their child. 

All pupils’ needs are met due to an inclusive curriculum, careful individualised planning and assessment which reflects on how the lessons are working.  Support staff love working in this inclusive environment.  They feel very supported by the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) who gave them a training session about their role and responsibilities.  SLT then delivered the same session to teachers so everyone was clear about how they fit into the bigger picture.  They are given plenty of time to talk to their teachers and are well prepared for each session as they can access the planning on the shared drive.

Teachers spoke about career progression and how their own development is important to the Senior Leadership Team.  Training has been useful and helped them make the sessions more inclusive for their named pupils; sessions on Attention Autism, Makaton, How to Support Learners with Down’s Syndrome as well as all the statutory training in relation to Safeguarding and First Aid. 

Our Assessor added, “It has been a pleasure visiting the school over the last couple of days and seeing this highly inclusive school in action.  Everyone I met is full of praise and admiration for the work done by the school. “